Renal phospholipid metabolism in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

The effect of acute and chronic streptozotocin-induced diabetes on phospholipid metabolism in papillary, medullary and cortical slices was studied. No changes were observed in either the phospholipid content or composition in the papilla, medulla and cortex from acute and chronic diabetic rats. With reference to (U-14C)glycerol incorporation in the papilla from chronic diabetic rats, it increased in PtdCho, PtdIns and PtdEtn. In the medulla, the incorporation to PtdCho decreased in the acute diabetic state, while in the chronic diabetic state the incorporation to PtdCho and PtdIns decreased. No changes were observed in cortical phospholipids from diabetic rats. As regards 23P-sodium orthophosphate incorporation to phospholipids, while it increased in PtdCho, PtdIns and PtdEtn in the papilla from acute and chronic diabetic rats, in the medulla from both groups, the incorporation in PtdCho and PtdIns decreased, and in the cortex from acute diabetic rats it decreased only in PtdIns. Even though no changes were detected in phospholipid composition, alterations in phospholipid metabolism were induced by experimental diabetes.